


Clarity

by Caraidean



Series: More Than Technique [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: F/M, For a certain level of violence, The end of it being 'platonic'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 14:30:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13366695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caraidean/pseuds/Caraidean
Summary: Mia’s concern over the real outcome of Ike’s battle with the Black Knight rears its head three years after the Mad King’s War. Following a grievous injury in their second duel, Mia finally understands her feelings towards her commander.





	Clarity

## CRIMEA, 646

“The one I seek is behind these doors. Don’t follow me. I’m going in alone.”  
Mia’s ears prickled at hearing those words, the swordswoman’s eyes widening in understanding. She’d known that the Black Knight was here, but - to hear that Ike would be fighting him alone? That was…no, she could understand. Some things had to be done yourself. 

“Ike! Wait! I’m going with–” Soren was interrupting. Of course, he wouldn’t let Ike’s pride get in the way. Mia walked towards the small group gathered outside the door, pausing just to the side as the three argued over it.

“No, Soren. We have to let Ike go alone. The Black Knight is his. Defeating him is a crucial step that Ike must take in order to truly get over the death of his father.” Titania said calmly. Soren frowned, his hand twitching - Mia could recognize the urge to throw something when she saw it.

“Idiocy! I’ll hear no more of this naive nonsense! What if something happens to him? What then?”

Titania started talking again, and Mia zoned it out - instead just watching as Ike pulled Ragnell from a sheathe and headed towards the door. She opened her mouth to say something, before slowly - reluctantly - closing it, brow furrowed. She could hear Soren’s next words when she turned her head away, frowning. 

“…I don’t like it. Sometimes, bravery and good judgment aren’t enough.”

“I agree with Soren.” She said, louder than she’d anticipated - startling Titania and Ike into looking at her.

“ _Thank_  you.” Soren said in exasperation, glad to have support from  **somewhere** \- even if it was from Mia. “Ike, please, listen to reason-”

“Yeah. You also need to be a good fighter.” Mia continued on, turning Soren’s pleas into a wordless groan of exasperation. “ _Kick his ass, Boss_.”

Despite the somber mood, Ike let out a small chuckle - giving her a slight nod before taking a deep breath, and heading into the room to face his destiny. Mia closed her eyes and rested her back against the wall, letting out a shaky, nervous breath. She hoped he’d win - gods, he  _had_  to win. The only person who was allowed to beat him in a fight was  _her_  dammit, and…

She would admit. She wasn’t sure what she would do if he died. 

* * *

Mia wasn’t sure how much time had passed by the time the tower shook - and her eyes snapped open, startled, as she turned to the door. Nasir kicked it open, dragging a half-conscious Ike out, as well as another girl - the secret Laguz’ eyes wide in panic. 

“Help me!” He shouted, and Mia nodded - moving to grab Ike off of him, wincing under the weight. Gods, but her boss was heavy - that stupid armor his General position made him wear, no doubt. Stumbling for a brief second, she got used to it, and they barely managed to scamper outside before the tower collapsed. 

“So.” She panted, running a hand through her hair and letting out a long sigh as Ike stirred properly, rubbing the back of his head. “Did you get him?”

“I…” Ike hesitated, glancing back towards the tower and then at Ragnell. “…I think so, yeah. It just felt…strange. Like he was holding back.”

“Why would he be holding back?” Mia asked, quietly, but then she was pushed aside by Mist, Titania and Soren, and dozens of other as well, all moving to make sure that their Commander was safe - and to spread the story of the man who defeated the Black Knight in single combat. 

Even if that wasn’t true. Taking one glance at Ragnell, Mia noticed something strange. 

“…why isn’t there any blood on it…?”

* * *

## CRIMEA, 649

“Ike. Is it true?" 

Mia had hunted down Ike as soon as she’d heard the rumors about who had helped in Daein’s rebellion - not wanting to believe the truth, but knowing that it was possible. Ike paused, caught off guard by Mia’s use of his name, before turning and giving a curt nod. 

"Yeah. The Black Knight’s alive, apparently.” He said quietly. Mia wasn’t sure how to respond to that, opening and closing her mouth a few times before just putting her hands on her hips and beaming at him.

“You’ll get him, boss.” She said encouragingly. “You had him on the run last time, right? Besides…I’m the only one who’s allowed to beat you!”

“Yeah. I’ll get him next time.” Ike’s answer and smile were forced, and even Mia couldn’t have failed to notice that this time. She faltered, the smile on her face falling off. She paused next to him in mid-stride, trying to figure out what to say. Eventually she settled for punching him in the shoulder, staring out over the battlements. 

“What’re you so worried about?” She asked, turning back to face him as he rubbed the slight mark she’d left on his skin. “Ike, come on. Sure, you came out of the fight last time real beat up, but you still at least drove him off! And it’s not like you’ve been sitting around doing nothing for three years either - we’ve  _both_  gotten even better. Maybe you’ll mop the floor with him!”

“I’m not sure I’d say I had him on the run.” Ike admitted, frowning. “I scratched his armor a few times at best. I never actually-”

“Injured him. Yeah, I know. I kind of always suspected, really.” Mia cut him off. Ike blinked, startled as she explained herself. “Ragnell didn’t have any blood on it. I kind of figured either you’d taken him out with that weird wind slash thing it does, or you never actually…”

“No. I never actually got him.” Ike said quietly. Mia sighed. 

“Makes sense. How come you never talked about it?”

“I was honestly hoping the tower collapsing killed him.” Ike said after a few more moments, before letting out a slight gasp of pain and surprise. Mia had drawn her sword while he was distracted, and slapped the flat of the blade against his side. He turned to face her, an accusing look in his eyes - but was forced back a few more paces again as she slashed out towards his face. 

“Mia! What are you  _doing_?”

“You were getting mopey.” Mia shrugged, slashing again - Ike barely managing to weave out of the way a second time. Ashera be good, but Mia had gotten  _fast_  in the last three years. “I’m not great at talking about things, Boss. You want to know what I’m good at? This.”

“Trying to kill your employers?” Ike asked incredulously as he drew his own sword, getting a slight laugh from Mia. 

“Nope.” She lunged, the two locking blades as they started to dance back and forth on the battlements. Almost a minute later, in the first real pause the two of them had in the impromptu spar, Mia raised her blade to eye level and smirked. “I might not have beaten you, Commander - but I’ve sure as sure can be pushed you to your limits before. Haven’t I?”

“Once or twice, yeah.” Ike admitted, starting to catch on - and he wasn’t entirely sure he liked where this was going. “So…”

“So, maybe just at dawn isn’t doing it for you.” She said cheerily, leaping forward once more. Thirty seconds passed of near-silence, steel clashing on steel before Mia’s relentless onslaught forced Ike to roll back and start descending down the stairs to the courtyard, parrying her blows as they continued to rain down. “You so worried that the Black Knight’s going to beat you again?  _Practice more_!”

Mia took a shortcut, jumping off the stairs and rolling as she landed, turning around to slash at Ike’s arms as he turned to meet her. He managed to block that as well, pushing forwards so the two locked blades - and like they always did at this point, he started to overpower her, pushing her slowly back as she gritted her teeth in exertion. 

“I don’t think it’s about practice.” Ike grumbled, and suddenly his eyes widened and he let out a gasp of pain, air exploding out of his lungs. Mia looked almost apologetic, taking some steps back as he bent over, clutching his stomach. 

“Sorry, but I kinda had to prove my point.” She said, stabbing her sword into the ground and leaning against the wall. “Boss, I don’t exactly think the Black Knight’s going to fight you with  _honor_ a second time around. You might need to cheat.”

“Kicking him in the stomach isn’t going to work through all that steel.” He wheezed, finally catching his breath. Mia shook her head, long purple hair catching in the breeze as she laughed.

“No, probably not. But you get the idea, yeah?” Her face grew serious. “Boss, if you meet him, it’s not gonna be like with me. One of you is going to have to die, and-”

She hesitated, bowing her head slightly. “-…I’d really,  _really_  rather it wasn’t you.”

“Yeah. I’d rather not die too.” Ike joked. He slid his sword back into its sheath and nodded to her as he turned to walk away, a smile on his face. “Thanks for the spar, Mia. Even if you really didn’t have to kick me in the stomach…I needed that. You give weird pep talks.”

“Just be glad I didn’t go for your balls.” Mia joked back, a smile on her face. That was something, at least - he wasn’t brooding anymore. Even so, she felt a slight twinge of  _ **something**_  in her stomach. She didn’t think it was fear, but…ah, well. Nothing a few good sword drills wouldn’t help take her mind off of, that was for sure. 

* * *

## BEGNION, 650

“Yeah, you better run!” Mia couldn’t help but laugh at the retreating soldier she’d beaten off. She’d give the Dawn Brigade member one thing - he was better than she’d expected. Far, far better - but not good enough, as it turned out. He just couldn’t keep up with her. The moment the brown-haired man’s steel sword had snapped under her Brave weapon’s blow, he’d turned tail and run - the smart people’s choice, in other words. Blowing a few strands of purple hair out of her eyes, she glanced around the battlefield to get her bearings again, and saw something that made her heart stop.

_He was here._

“Oh, shit.” She mumbled, sword hanging limply by her side. She hadn’t quite prepared herself for the possibility of actually getting to  **see**  the Black Knight fight, and now here she was, watching him advance on…on…

Oh, Ashera.  _ **Ike**_.

Mia’s instincts kicked in, and she dove back into the fray - cutting down Daein and Senate soldiery alike as she tried to cut a swathe towards them, constantly looking up to see if Ike was still alive. The two were exchanging blows, she could see that, and Ike…

_Ike was **losing**_. 

She could tell. He was alive for now, but his knees were shaking, his blows were being turned aside, his feet weren’t quite in the right place-

Her vision was obstructed by a blast of fire, knocking her to her back. For the next few moments Mia was more concerned with surviving the next few seconds than Ike’s fate, scrambling back to her feet and staving off a group of spearmen. Eventually she could let her instincts die down a little more again, and turned - and he was on his back, and she could somehow  _hear_  what the Black Knight was saying. 

“Still nothing. Was I wrong, again…?”

Mia wondered for all of a split-second what that could have meant, before the Black Knight raised Alondite and prepared to bring it down on Ike’s body. Time seemed to slow down, and Mia let out an anguished scream that she hadn’t even known she was capable of. 

“NO!  _ **GET AWAY FROM HIM**_!”

She didn’t have the time to think about how monumentally stupid her next action was. She dashed forwards, and brought her Brave sword - a weapon that Ike had given her to mark her first year of belonging to the Greil Mercenaries, at the height of the Mad King’s War - onto the Black Knight’s shoulder. Sparks flew, and to her immense surprise it actually sank in - and came away with blood. Stunned, she had barely any time to process that, diving back to avoid a slash from Alondite as the Knight growled in frustration. 

“Who are  _you_.” He…complained? Mia swallowed, arms trembling as she raised her sword and tried to look defiant. Behind the Black Knight she could see Ike staring in bewilderment, clutching a shattered arm - blood pouring down from a dozen scratches and gashes of various severity. She swallowed, turning her focus back to her opponent.

“If anyone’s going to beat my Commander, it’s going to be me.” She said, hoping that sounded brave. The Black Knight almost seemed amused, pauldrons shaking for a second in what Mia almost thought was barely repressed laughter. 

“A bold statement…if a foolish one.” He said, and suddenly moved. Gods, but he was as fast as Ike, even with all that armor. The swordmaster winced as she blocked his first strike, the sheer impact vibrating up her arms and almost breaking her grip. She couldn’t risk a proper block again after that, having to dodge or turn his aside - a few times managing to sneak past his guard, blade slashing out at joints, and a few times drawing blood - but she was being driven away, and she knew it. 

She was outclassed, and it terrified her. But this…she couldn’t let this happen, not if she stood a chance of stopping it.

“Mia.” Ike croaked, staggering back to his feet with Ettard in his hand. “Run.”

“Hell, no!” She said angrily, diving back from another slash and resisting the urge to turn and snarl at her boss properly. “I’m not letting this jackass kill you, Ike-”

She’d made a mistake the moment she dived back out of ‘range’, and she only realized it now. Diving back didn’t mean anything against Alondite like it would a normal sword, and her guard was completely open. She could hear a keening noise in the air, and time seemed to slow down again - a piercing white glare taking her vision, until it was blocked by a shadow. She opened her mouth to scream, wondering if this was how she died - until she felt a heavy presence knock into her, someone’s blood spurting around her fingers as she was sent sprawling, and it wasn’t her own. 

“Oh, no.” She whispered, crawling out from under Ike’s motionless body. “Commander?  _Boss_?”

“No real resistance.” The Black Knight said, advancing - before pausing, and tilting his head. The Daein horns were sounding a retreat, and just like that he turned and left, leaving Mia cradling Ike’s motionless body and pleading with him. 

“Boss?  _ **Ike**_? Hey! We need a healer!” She screamed, and suddenly Mist was there - and so was Rhys, the two pulling her away and leaning over Ike, doing all they could. Mia stared at the three, trembling, holding the shattered hilt of her Brave sword in one hand. When had it even broken? During Alondite’s ranged attack?

“Oh, gods. Ike.” She mumbled weakly, slumping down to her knees. She heard Rhys asking if she was okay, but couldn’t answer - hands shaking as she stared at him, tears gathering in her eyes. Why had she been so adamant about saving him? She cared for everyone else, but…she normally had some sense of self-preservation. Why did she completely ignore it, doing something as suicidal as charging the Black Knight, just to buy him a few more precious moments of life?

“Mia. Come on.” Someone was talking to her, gently chiding - and it took her a moment to realize it was Titania. Mia let go of her Brave sword’s ruined hilt, letting it clatter to the floor as she was guided away, weakly stumbling.   
What in Ashera’s name was happening to her?

* * *

“Is he-”

“He’ll be fine.” Rhys assured Mia, stepping aside to let the surprisingly subdued swordmaster into the Commander’s tent. Ike lay on his cot, covered in bandages - but breathing normally, which was almost enough to bring her to her knees. “It was close, though. If he’d taken another hit like that, I’m not sure…”

“Don’t. Please.” Mia urged quietly, hands balling into fists. Rhys hesitated, before nodding in agreement. 

“You’re right. Better not to talk about things like that.” He said quietly, the sickly healer packing up his things. “I already had to make Mist leave and get some rest, Mia. Don’t stay in here all day.”

“I’m surprised Soren’s not…” Mia started, before her voice trailed off. Soren was sitting at the base of the bed in a collapsible chair, head bowed forwards and light breaths the only sign he was still alive.  _Asleep, then_. 

“I couldn’t get him to leave the room if I tried.” Rhys admitted, giving Mia a slightly judging look. “Just make sure you get some rest as well, Mia. Soren said we might need everyone moving forwards, especially if the fact that Ike nearly died gets out. It’ll kill morale.”

“Yeah.” Mia mumbled, already kneeling next to Ike’s bed. Rhys left, and she leaned forwards - resting her head on his chest and starting to cry, shoulders shaking. What was she doing? What was she feeling? 

No, she knew what she was feeling. Wasn’t it strange, how almost losing someone put things into perspective. She had no clue if the feelings were returned, or even if Ike would understand what to do with them when she told him. But Mia couldn’t - she wasn’t sure what she would have done if he  _had_  died without her finally saying what she’d realized. 

“Oh,  _Ike_.” She mumbled, hands resting over the bandages covering his shoulders. She was sobbing now, tears giving way to actual gasps for air and wracking shoulders, her eyes buried in the blankets bunched around his midriff. “I’m - oh, gods, I’m so  _sorry_ …”

“For what?" 

Mia let out a slight gasp, straightening up - staring into Ike’s eyes. He was awake, if a little blurry and confused - and that just brought a wave of relief to her, shoulders slumping as she watched him struggle to sit up. 

"Gods, Mia what’s - hey!” He yelped as she suddenly moved forwards, pulling him into a tight hug and burying her face in the crook of his neck. He let out a few gasps of pain, hesitantly putting a hand on the still-crying swordmaster’s back. “M-mia, my ribs-”

“Right.” Mia mumbled through the tears, pulling away and wiping at her face. Ike said something, but she couldn’t quite hear it through…well, her emotions. “W-what was that?”

“I asked, why are you crying?” Ike said, concern in his voice. “Did he get you?”

“Did he - no, he didn’t  _get_  me!” Mia said in exasperation, punching Ike in his uninjured shoulder with a glare on her face. “How was he  _meant_  to get me! You  _jumped in front of me_!”

“Oh, good. That worked, then.” Ike said, sinking back into the bed and getting an open-mouthed stare from Mia. 

“I - you - oh, my gods. Why did I even bother.” Mia stood up, clutching long purple hair in her hands and resisting the urge to  _tug_. Gods, but she felt a mess - none of her usual drive here, just confusion and  _pain_ and  _ **longing**_. “Ike, do you even  **know** how close you came to dying?”

“No.” Ike said simply. Mia let out a sob, body shaking as she threatened to lose control of her emotions all over again. 

“Ike, they burned through  _two_  heal staves. Rhys  **passed out**  and had to be  _revived_.” She told him, wrapping her arms around herself and trying not to burst out into even more sobs. “You almost died - I almost - oh, Gods-”

“You almost what?” Ike asked, ignoring the fact that he’d almost died. Mia stared at him in disbelief, hands hanging limply by her sides now. 

“I almost lost you, you idiot.”

“Yeah. Guess we can’t have you going without your favorite sparring partner, huh?” Ike was trying to joke, but Mia’s response was far from what he’d been expecting. 

“ _ **I don’t care about that**_!” Mia almost shouted, sinking back to her knees next to him and staring into his eyes in desperation. “Ike, please! Can’t you see that I - oh, gods, I don’t know how to-”

> _“Um… Er… Aaaaah!”  
>  “Aaah! What!?”  
> “Oooh! Times… Times like this… I never have any idea of what I’m supposed to say. None!_

”-I don’t know how to say this.“ She said, miserably. She hung her head, and Ike reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder, hesitantly. "Ike, when you were…I saw you knocked down, and I just…I couldn’t…”

She hiccuped, one hand moving to wipe tears from her eyes. “I don’t want to  _lose_  you, Ike. I want…I want…oh, screw talking.”

Well aware that this could backfire, but having had enough of trying - and failing - to put everything she was feeling into words, Mia leaned forwards and her lips crashed against his. Aching longing, hidden away under jokes and bonding during literal hundreds of morning bouts, fighting to survive next to each other, desire and the fear of loss fueling it as she prayed that was enough. She pulled away as suddenly as she’d moved, eyes shut and wincing as she expected him to raise his voice, or say anything other than what he said next. 

“…huh.”

“Huh?”

That was one way of defusing the tension, Mia supposed, as she nervously opened her eyes again. Ike had pressed two fingers to his lips, pulling them away and looking slightly bemused. Mia just watched, the two wincing as he struggled back up again, Mia moving forwards to help - and he didn’t push her away. 

“I guess that explains some things.” Ike said after almost a minute of uncomfortable silence, breaking it. “…for how long?”

“I don’t know. A few years, maybe, but it’s not like I knew it.” Mia said, not quite capable of making eye contact. So…this was rejection, then. “I’m just…Ike, I’m bad with…I don’t know. People, I guess.”

“Yeah. Sometimes, so am I.” Ike said quietly, and his hand moved to squeeze hers. Mia let out a soft gasp, their eyes meeting again - and he moved forwards, their lips meeting for a second time. Unsaid and unknown feelings made themselves clear, the two clasping hands and never wanting to let go. Finally Mia parted first, eyes half-lidded as she smiled at him, softly. 

“Don’t ever scare me like that again.” She said, quietly. Ike nodded, taking it seriously as he kept a tight grip on her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Okay? I mean it. Even if it was to save me.”

“You were trying to save me. I was returning the favor.” He smiled. The two moved in, pressing their foreheads together as Mia let a few more tears run down her cheeks. “So…what now? What changes?”

“I don’t think anything does.” Mia said after a moment of thought, squeezing his hand back. “I’m not going to stop calling you Boss, Ike. And I…you know, I still want to keep sparring. I don’t want this to mean we settle down and stop fighting. That’s just stupid.”

“I don’t think it’d suit us.” Ike laughed in agreement, letting go. “So, just…like we were before?”

“Like we were before. Just…we know where we stand with each other now.” Mia nodded, pressing her lips to his for a third time - gentler, less driven by a desperate need for understanding or a long-last release of tension. It was, however, interrupted by a cough. 

“If you two are  _quite_  done.” Soren said, making the two split apart - Mia turning red, Ike just shifting his head to look at his oldest friend with a raised eyebrow. “Ike. I’m glad you have apparently made a full recovery…and that Mia has finally grown up enough to understand what ’ _feelings_ ’ are.”

“Shut up, Soren.” Mia said, almost automatically at this point. She stood up, brushing dirt off her skirt and looking at Ike almost longingly. “I’ll…let you two catch up. I’ll see you later…Ike.”

“Later, Mia.” Ike promised with a slight smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”


End file.
